Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lipis

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lipis: $897 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Petaling Jaya and in Kuala Lipis

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Petaling Jaya and in Kuala Lipis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $897 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,056
Kuala Lipis $897

A couple spends around $1,569 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,420 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,569
Kuala Lipis $1,420

A family of three spends $2,082 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,944 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $2,082
Kuala Lipis $1,944

Petaling Jaya costs about 18% more than Kuala Lipis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lipis are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 22% lower, Kuala Lipis 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.54

$3.59 MYR 14.62

-0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.39 MYR 99.4

$24.70 MYR 101

-1.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.75

$4.98 MYR 20.31

-2.61%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.53

$2.99 MYR 12.20

3.01%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$0.85 MYR 3.48

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.42 MYR 1.70

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.38

$3.21 MYR 13.06

2.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.19

$5.63 MYR 22.94

1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.95 MYR 7.96

-1.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.08 MYR 4.38

-4.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.87

$1.47 MYR 6.00

-2.04%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.21

$1.78 MYR 7.24

-0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 MYR 39.56

$9.81 MYR 39.99

-1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.36

$3.17 MYR 12.92

3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 MYR 39.65

$9.58 MYR 39.01

1.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MYR 14.29

$3.59 MYR 14.64

-2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.57

$1.85 MYR 7.54

0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.13

$2.75 MYR 11.22

-0.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.44

$1.83 MYR 7.46

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.75

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-0.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.23

$2.05 MYR 8.36

-1.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MYR 5.90

$1.49 MYR 6.06

-2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$0.52 MYR 2.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$4.46 MYR 18.17

2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 MYR 79.0

$19.69 MYR 80.2

-1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.75

$2.71 MYR 11.04

-2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.24

$4.44 MYR 18.08

0.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$0.66 MYR 2.67

89.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

$13.50 MYR 55.0

-7.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-0.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.36 MYR 1.46

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 MYR 35.65

$8.79 MYR 35.81

-0.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$0.81 MYR 3.29

7.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$45.9K MYR 186.9K

$44.9K MYR 183.1K

2.08%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

$34.8K MYR 142.0K

1.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$49.61 MYR 202

$49.77 MYR 203

-0.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.18 MYR 33.33

$8.30 MYR 33.81

-1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.36 MYR 111

$27.35 MYR 111

0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 MYR 165

$40.93 MYR 167

-1.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.34

$7.48 MYR 30.46

-59.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MYR 20.38

$4.88 MYR 19.88

2.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$273 MYR 1,112

$276 MYR 1,125

-1.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

$10.3K MYR 42.0K

2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 210

0.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.45 MYR 120

$29.76 MYR 121

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 MYR 318

$77.7 MYR 317

0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 MYR 355

$86.8 MYR 354

0.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,084

$385 MYR 1,571

32.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,738

$268 MYR 1,092

59.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,914

$693 MYR 2,824

38.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,849

$558 MYR 2,272

25.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

$2,178 MYR 8,872

44.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MYR 3,978

$1,305 MYR 5,315

-25.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,115

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lipis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

Kuala Lipis

$268 29.9% 37.2% $159

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6%

Kuala Lipis

$251 28% 0.7% $1.6

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7%

Kuala Lipis

$112 12.5% 0.8% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5%

Kuala Lipis

$111 12.3% 0.2% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1%

Kuala Lipis

$85 9.5% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8%

Kuala Lipis

$51 5.7% 0.5% $0.3

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Kuala Lipis

$19 2.1% 6.3% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Petaling Jaya versus $385 in Kuala Lipis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Petaling Jaya versus $25 in Kuala Lipis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $251 – making Petaling Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

20,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Petaling Jaya Kuala Lipis 130 km

From you

Petaling Jaya
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Petaling Jaya vs Kuala Lipis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Petaling Jaya is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,345 in Kuala Lipis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lipis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $897 in Kuala Lipis. That makes Kuala Lipis about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Petaling Jaya and $276 in Kuala Lipis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lipis, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Petaling Jaya at $1,056. In Kuala Lipis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Petaling Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Petaling Jaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $897 in Kuala Lipis to $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.